My 2020 reading successes and failures.
At the beginning of the year I had a lot to accomplish. Aside from writing, I wanted to read at least one book a month. The list I created of 12 books included both new and classic stories. As with many of us, the Zombie Apocalypse put a dent in my plans. As a result, I did not complete everything on my list. On the plus side, I did add a few titles that grabbed my interest along the way.
To start off, I completed the books on my list as follows: Starsight by Brandon Sanderson, Fall of Hades by Richard Paul Evans, Paloma by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Diving into the Wreck by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Death Without Company by Craig Johnson, The Complete Adventures of Tom Stranger by Larry Correia, Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I enjoyed each book and was glad to have had time to enjoy both new and classic stories.
The books I did not finish were: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia, The Forbidden Door and The Night Window by Dean Koontz. I also began reading books not on my original list including: The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes by Leonard Goldberg, 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami and The Grand Biocentric Design by Peter Ganim. Although I did not get to finish these, I will add them to next year’s list.
Even though I didn’t finish some books, I finished others that were not on my list including: The Nameless Series by Dean Koontz, The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury, The Science of Sci-Fi by Erin MacDonald, Power Moves by Adam Grant, Save the Cat by Blake Snyder and Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. I also listened to The Sandman audio drama by Neil Gaiman. Each of these books were added on a whim and I enjoyed them all.
The Queen’s Gambit and Anne of Green Gables were added because I enjoyed the Netflix series for each title. Although The Queen’s Gambit kept the same title, the Netflix series for Anne of Green Gables was called Anne with an E. Both were altered in some way for better representation but I enjoyed them each and recommend the shows and books to anyone interested in great stories and characters, regardless of which medium you prefer.
In the coming weeks I’ll select the next batch of books for 2021. The goal for me is never to finish all that I list or to exceed the number selected. For me, the goal is to follow my passion for stories and knowledge. The Grand Biocentric Design is very interesting and although I am a devoted fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, discovering the new series by Leonard Goldberg takes me back to the excitement I felt in reading Sherlock Holmes for the first time. I’m excited to see where a story depicting the great detective’s daughter will go.
Although I did not complete my list, the unfinished books are not a negative to me. Even though I wanted to finish every book, I am still glad. I learned from the non-fiction books I completed and it’s always a thrill to go on new adventures shared by fellow authors. Reading will always be both a passion and a great escape that helps me fan the spark of inspiration. I hope each of us can find a creative outlet to express our passions. And in so doing, try to discover a favorite creative in the world, be they an author, a singer, an artist or photographer.
Remember: Setting goals is always a means of self-improvement. We do what we can to better our lives and outlook. In uncertain times, we should always try finding ways to make our situations and future, better and brighter.